The Chemistry of Photography1

A detailed Summary of The Chemistry of Photography1

Photography is a very complex form of art, which uses standard chemicals and scientific equations. It is a chemical reaction, which occurs when light hits a film or paper emulsion. An emulsion is part of the film or paper, which is very sensitive to light. This is also the part where the chemical reaction takes place. In an emulsion, are small crystals of silver halide, silver bromide, silver chloride, or silver iodide [Eaton, George]. These chemical crystals react with light when it is passed through a camera, to create an image on paper [Foto Info]. The development of film production has a very simple chemical equation, most widely known as:

This equation expresses how when any form of light is added to silver X, it creates silver plus the X [Mad Scientist]. In most cases, the AgX represents one of the compounds above.

In the photographic process, there are three main chemicals used. These are the developer, the stop bath, and the fixer. The developer, or the reducer, is the chemical that completes the reaction with the light exposure, by reacting with the silver, to create metallic silver [Britannica Online]. This process is called reduction. Common reducers used are hydroquinone, phen

Woodson, Roger Complete Idiot's Guide to Photography

When all this is complete, the photo should be soaked in a water bath. This will wash off the fixer or silver from the emulsion. If this step is not done, fading and even a loss of color can occur. Another reason the photograph may have problems is if you let the temperature of the chemicals during the process go below 65 degrees. Below this temperature, the chemicals will not function properly, and may not have a reaction. [Foto Info] If there is no reaction, then there is no picture image displayed on the paper.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Foto Info, Britannica Online, Woodson Roger, , Sun Spot, Sucsy Arthur, Sodium Silfite, Scientist AgX, Kodak DK-50, Potassium Bromide, foto info, acetic acid, sodium thiosulfate, britannica online, chemical reaction, stop bath, accessed 8 2000, accessed 8, grams sodium, absorbic acid, ml metol, grams sodium silfite, 750 ml metol, sodium silfite anhydrous, centigrade 750 ml,

Approximate Word count = 1011
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Science

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